Welcome to the GW4 newsletter for May 2022: your regular digest of GW4 news, funding and development opportunities. To subscribe to the GW4 Newsletter click here.
GW4 Alliance Director Update:
May has been a busy month of events for the GW4 Alliance. We were delighted to be the supporting partner for the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) South West and South Wales Summer Drinks Reception, meeting with business leaders from across the region. As part of the event’s opening speeches, I joined GW4 Council member Professor Ian White, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bath, in highlighting our net zero and hydrogen capabilities, and the value of research and development (R&D) collaboration with our four universities. Our GW4 Research Development Manager (Net Zero) Dr Katie Lidster also showcased the work we've been undertaking with our strategic partner the Western Gateway to map hydrogen activity and ambitions across our geography. This generated a lot of interest with attendees and we’re looking forward to following up on this, exploring opportunities for potential future business collaborations.
On the theme of collaboration, three generations of research communities came together to share their experiences and learnings at our GW4 Generator Showcase and Launch Event. The showcase gave research groups the opportunity to network in person – many meeting face-to-face for the first time following Covid-19 restrictions – and we really hope the event helps our new communities achieve even greater things and make the most of their awards. In the same week, we had the official launch of the British Academy Early Career Research Network South West Hub launch, led by GW4 in partnership with nine universities. It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm from ECRs across the humanities and social sciences, with discussions ranging from potential interdisciplinary collaborations to areas of focus for the network.
Finally, I spent a day in London celebrating the progress of Midland’s Innovation TALENT programme. As a member of their Advisory Board, and with all GW4 universities signatories to the Technician Commitment, it is a pleasure to be supporting their efforts to transform the higher education sector. Continued investment in our technical staff is crucial, not only for university teaching and research activities, but to fulfil the UK Government’s ambition to increase investment in R&D. The day concluded with the launch of the Commission report at a Parliamentary reception at the House of Lords.
Find out more about our current news, events and opportunities in this month’s newsletter.
